Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has admitted that he was hurt by some of the criticism that was aimed at him last season.
The French international was repeatedly singled out during the campaign by fans and pundits alike, as he struggled with consistency on the pitch.
"Emotionally, I went through several moments of doubt and reassessment," Nasri told FIFA.com. "Some of the criticism I got hurt me, and lots of bad things were said.
"I accept criticism as long as it's justified, but there were lots of lies about me. I made mistakes, I know, but I'm not the ugly duckling that some people seem to think."
City are currently in Hong Kong where they are competing for the Barclays Asia
Trophy.